Would YOU be a musician if nobody ever heard you ?

behindthenotes

Junior Member
Hi Guys

We have posted our weekly discussion on our Forum this week but would like to hear your thoughts.

Would YOU be a musician if nobody ever heard you ?

Although the clip is a fairly old one this was a question put to Miles in an interview he did with 60 minutes. We thought it would be good to see what you guys thought - Would you go on this journey of a musician if you knew you would never be heard ?

No surprises on his response but you can check out the clip here if you haven't already seen it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DduWg...eature=related

See you online
 
Hi Guys

We have posted our weekly discussion on our Forum this week but would like to hear your thoughts.

Would YOU be a musician if nobody ever heard you ?

Although the clip is a fairly old one this was a question put to Miles in an interview he did with 60 minutes. We thought it would be good to see what you guys thought - Would you go on this journey of a musician if you knew you would never be heard ?

No surprises on his response but you can check out the clip here if you haven't already seen it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DduWg...eature=related

See you online

I am a musician. It's who, and what, I am. Well before I started playing out, and certainly before I started doing it regularly, it defined me.

So yes. The thrill of the live show is undeniable...but not why I play.
 
I would play in my cellar, all by myself, but there's nothing like playing for people, it's a nice thrill.

If I wasn't IN a band, I would be trying to GET into a band.

Just as a thought:
I'm lucky, I've found a band where the intensity in on stage playing and not behind the scenes fighting. In my experience, that's a rare thing. Think of how many bands break up because he "marriage" doesn't work out!

Bands longevity seem to be a bit less about the music, and more about the compatibility of the personalities of the players.
 
I would love to play with, and for others, and have in the past, but for now I am quite content to play by and for myself, and the neighbors, what bit they can hear.
 
I would still play but I would not practice the way I'm doing right now.

The best thing about music is probably to be able to share your passion with others.
 
There's music inside of me, dying to get out. Whether that be in front of others or in the privacy of my practice space, it just needs to express itself.

Granted, I love to perform, and I love to practice, but there's something self-fulfilling about playing. I'm not talking about my playing being "self-ingratiating" or "self-indulging" like I hear some jazz cats about, but everything just seems right with the universe when I have a pair of sticks, a set of mallets, or a guitar in my hands.
 
I would absolutely play if no one ever heard me. Although it's fun to share your music with others, I get plenty of satisfaction when I'm alone and really nail a song or recognize my skills as they become sharper.
 
Thats a really interesting question and I'm going to have to think about the answer.


I do want however to make sure I understand the question first though..

Do you mean "Would you ( choose to /continue to ) be a musician"...OR is the question " Would you ( consider yourself ) to be a musician?

i.e. is the question intended to ask about ones chosen path / calling or is about ones innate sense of self?
 
Do you mean "Would you ( choose to /continue to ) be a musician"...OR is the question " Would you ( consider yourself ) to be a musician?
I would guess the first one. I imagine the second one would be a yes for almost anyone who can tell what sounds good.

By the way, the link doesn't work for me.

My answer is yes for the satisfaction of my side that wants to create and listen to new music. No, for the side that cares about performance and affecting others with what I do.
 
Hi Guys

We have posted our weekly discussion on our Forum this week but would like to hear your thoughts.

Would YOU be a musician if nobody ever heard you ?

Although the clip is a fairly old one this was a question put to Miles in an interview he did with 60 minutes. We thought it would be good to see what you guys thought - Would you go on this journey of a musician if you knew you would never be heard ?

No surprises on his response but you can check out the clip here if you haven't already seen it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DduWg...eature=related

See you online

Unfortunately my computer at work does not have SOUND :( so I cannot hear this clip you included, however I can answer even with out hearing/seeing it. I would definately play even if I was never heard...I have gone all these years with it all inside anyway so having noone else to hear is fine by me so long as I have the outlet to drum away! I have an audience in the music itself.
 
Thats a really interesting question and I'm going to have to think about the answer.


I do want however to make sure I understand the question first though..

Do you mean "Would you ( choose to /continue to ) be a musician"...OR is the question " Would you ( consider yourself ) to be a musician?

i.e. is the question intended to ask about ones chosen path / calling or is about ones innate sense of self?

Sorry for the confusion there - it's the first one - would you choose to be a musician if no-one ever heard you
 
would you choose to be a musician if no-one ever heard you

To be quite honest, I really don't know. I was a little kid living a difficult childhood and the idea of gaining acceptance from my peers by doing something I was good at had a lot of appeal. It was my time to shine as they say. Once I got a taste of performing I loved it. Still do.
BUT. There are down times in everyone's career, times when I was pretty much going it alone in relative obscurity, not working much at all, and I kept at it by knowing that the down times come and go.
Probably if I knew that I'd never be heard by anyone, ever, then knowing myself like I do I imagine I would have found some other way to get some attention. All performers enjoy that, you know, and I can't see myself making music in a vacuum, not forever. I love to play for people too much for that. It's just something I've been doing since I was a kid. The audience is a very big part of the whole experience for me, even if it's just a few tables in a jazz club or the producer at a recording session. And sometimes those are the most satisfying audiences to play for.
 
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Yes.

It might be arguable that nobody is ever more of a musician than when they are alone.

Like some have said above - if it's in you, it has to come out. Regardless of whether there's an audience or not.
 
Absolutley. Besides boring school band concerts, i didnt play live until after like... 5 years or drumming maybe?
 
Yes.

It might be arguable that nobody is ever more of a musician than when they are alone.

Like some have said above - if it's in you, it has to come out. Regardless of whether there's an audience or not.

Agreed and as I stated below, "I have an audience in the music itself." Any time I have been behind a kit it is me and the sound
 
well isupposed i would, but i have to admit nothing is quite the same as playing live....and wheny ou play live and then stop (my current position) you REALLY crave it. so it wuoldnt be as fun, but id still play...which is kinda what i do now
 
At this stage I really don't feel a need to "perform" for anyone or receive applause or validation from an audience. I just like the music.

But when I was young it meant a lot to me to be heard and admired as a musician.

So, it's hard to say... perhaps I wouldn't have been drawn to playing drums originally -- and stuck with it -- without the external appreciation; but now it's superfluous. I guess I'm glad people liked my playing back then, and it was important back then... now, it's not.
 
I'd honestly still play no matter what, ironically, I'm hardly ever heard at all (in high school you'd think everyone has heard you when you were in the talent show), but music is my passion and drums just drive me through it.
 
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